The Horton Ho IX twin-jet tailless
fighter-bomber, of which two prototypes
were flown before the end of
the war, was of extremely advanced
design, which benefited from considerable
experience gained by the
brothers Reimar and Walter Horten in
the development of flying-wing aircraft,
of which the majority were gliders.
Designed by Sonderkommando 9,
starting in 1942, the first prototype Ho
IX VI was found to be unable to
accommodate the two intended BMW
109-003-1 turbojets owing to an unforeseen
increase in engine diameter, and
it was therefore flown as a glider at
Oranienburg during the summer of
1944. The redesigned Ho IX V2 was
fitted with two Junkers 109-004B-1 turbojets
and flown successfully at Oranienburg,
demonstrating speeds of up
to 960km/h before it was
destroyed while making a single-engine
landing. Such promise encouraged the RLM to instruct Gothaer
Waggonfabrik to assume development
of the design, and a third prototype,
the Go 229 V3, was produced
with 1000kg thrust Jumo 109-
004C turbojets, but was prevented
from flying by the end of hostilities in
May 1945. Work had also started on the
two-seat Go 229 V4 and Go 229 V5
night-fighter prototypes, the Go 229 V6
armament test prototype, and the Go
229 V7 two-seat trainer, No progress
had been made on 20 pre-production
Go 229A-0 fighter-bombers, on order
at the end of the war, that were intended
to carry two 1000kg bombs and four 30mm MK 103 cannon.

Only 5000lb payload. This is very much a prototype.Not much spare for arms an ammo after the fuel for those thirsty old motors.so I would suggest that an opperational aircraft was a good year or two from seeing service.

The great one, 26.01.2017

Imagine if they had of built a bigger version of it, and put fallschimrjagers in it! Bye bye dad's army!

Fredy, 18.11.2013

I did build and flown a 1:4 Modell of the Horten IX, wingspan 4.2M, 2xJetCat P80, Weight 33Kg.

Capt Fuego, 02.08.2013

Most beautiful aircraft i have ever seen!

John Kent, 02.08.2013

I very much doubt that this aircraft would ever have entered full service for the following reasons - 1) The materials for the engines were in very short supply as was the fuel. 2) Training of aircrew and ground crew would have taken at least a year, 2 seat trainers would have had to been built, flight and engineering manuals written and repair facilities set up 3) the German transport network was almost totally destroyed which would have had an effect on the materials supply. 4) Even if it had made it into squadron service then Bletchley Park would have soon known about it and then the Allies would then have bombed the airfields and production facilities. 5) It may have been stealthy at the time but British radar was not standing still and would have improved by the time the 'plane entered service. 6) The RAF had the Meteor as well which was entering squadron service.

miguel, 22.05.2013

incredible.I was searching and read abaot them since i was see this plane in discovery channel

gramm, 31.03.2013

Built of wood, amazing,

Dr. Larry Steinberger Dallas, 13.02.2013

Recently outside Stuttgart Germany, Pictures were discovered of Horten gliders being flown in 1941. You can see the all wing shape being developed. Five of the glider pilots were shown. Ostermann, Luck, Kemph, Kreisling and Bucher. When I looked closely one was a woman, very striking. I asked who it was, and they said it was Anna Kreisling. I was struck by how relaxed she looked and her smile. From what I understand when Ziller was killed flying the Horten Jet flying wing on Feb. 18th 1945, Hannah Reistch recommended Anna Kreisling to resume the testing. This was not done immediately because the Horten Brothers for the next two months went back and improved the Horten's design and built two more. Anna's first flight in the Horten was on April 24th 1945 in which she spent 45 Minutes having a blast flying it! Her 2nd flight was May 7th 1945 when upon landing she was captured by Pattons Army!

Anthony Wurthmann, 27.11.2012

I am in the logistics gathering for building a full size"Horten HO 229". I figure it to be a 5 year project.

James, 18.07.2012

I am currently building a 1/72 scale kit by PM Model and am in awe of the German's technology not only for this aircraft but for their other jet designs. Considering their shortage of raw materials and fuel shortages their aviation industry still gave it 100%. Credit to them. The war had to end asap and if it had continued till August then a mushroom cloud would have hung somewhere over Germany. The Nazis were eviland had to be crushed.

Sven, 21.02.2012

Once more guys. Just because it looks similar doesny make it the same.Horten designs were aerodynamically stable. Blended concepts are computer stabilised. #worlds apart not just 60 years.

Gary R., 20.02.2012

Where Can I get true too scale plans of the ho-229

Dr. P. Hostettler, 19.02.2012

NASA's X-48B "Blended Wing Body" plane appears to be based on the Horten principle. I enjoyed reading the comments from illustrious people from around the world on this amazing technological development of the 1940s.

Dr. Simon Lee London, 08.01.2012

Our research here in London verifies that the Nazi's in 1945 had three flying Horten V-9's that were being tested. Test pilot Ziller was killed in one, and within 5 days Test Pilot Anna Kreisling was assigned to take over evaluation. This Horten was seized by the U.S. Army along with another Horten jet taken inside a hangar 50 miles away. During Operation Paperclip two Horten Jets were brought back to the U.S.A. In 1946 Anna Kreisling was flown out of Germany by the OSS who finally found her pouring coffee for the U.S. Army. Most of us here in England believe she was trying to hide from the Soviets and doing a smashing job of it!

Tricky Loopsy, 19.12.2011

Adolf Hitler, Horten Ho 229 VS George Bush, B-2 Stealth Spirit

NefariousDrO, 21.05.2011

I have a question for people who know more about this than I do: was the intended factory using forced-labor? There was an article I saw where a crew that was restoring one of the rocket-powered planes built in such a factory found over 100 acts of sabotage during its construction. In fact, it was highly likely the drag-chute for landings wouldn't have deployed! Would that kind of thing have occurred with this aircraft as well?

ANNA KREISLING KG-200, 09.03.2011

I am taking a break from Ice fishing which is fun because you never know what you are going to catch! Fishing in Antarctica is amazing and I encourage all to try it. I would like to thank everyone for your positive support, I love flying and making sure that Communists do not control our planet. I would like to make clear that the Horten was never used in combat in World War II. I flew it only twice and on my last flight was captured by the U.S. Army. If you want to talk about Luftwaffe combat jets, the ME-262 is your bird, designed to operate under real wartime conditions. Just look how the Jumo Jet engines could be changed in one night, ready for combat the next morning. If the war had lasted another year, then the Horten would have seen combat, but all of us can be thankful that the war ended when it did. In closing I would like to encourage President Obama to station one American Aircraft Carrier off the coast of Libya and bomb the hell out of Col. Kadaffy and put an end to this fighting. The longer this war lasts the greater the danger is to the entire world.

deaftom, 27.02.2011

I used to have a PC flight simulator called "Secret Weapons of the Third Reich" that included this plane among several others. When I "flew" the Ho 229, I could easily wipe the skies free of any gang of P-51s that attempted to attack me! What a great aircraft it could have been. Alas, only the center section remains, now in the National Air and Space Museum near Washington, DC.

Paul Horton, 21.12.2010

The US forces over ran the factory in april 14th 1945 & a near completed GO229V3 was shipped back to the States for review.I believe that very plane sits in the air museum at Chimo California as a static hang ! They also have a komet as well !

ivan, 16.12.2010

the germans are the 1. who have jet engines so u americans can suck thair dick !